Locking wheel chocks for vehicles

ABSTRACT

Locking wheel chocks for an automotive vehicle wheel consisting of a pair of wedges adapted to be disposed respectively for and aft of said wheel, in engagement with the ground surface and confronting the periphery of the wheel, a connector joining said wedges and adapted to extend alongside said wheel, a mechanism for shortening said connector whereby said wedges are driven tightly between said wheel periphery and said road surface, and a key-operated locking device for securing said connector releasably at any desired degree of extension, and for securing said chock device to said wheel.

United States Patent Carpenter 1 Aug. 29, 1972 [54] LOCKING WHEEL CHOCKSFOR VEHICLES [72] Inventor: Walter C. Carpenter, 14900 E. 40

St., Independence, Mo. 64055 [22] Filed: Oct. 8, 1970 [21] Appl. No.:79,014

[52] US. Cl ..188/32 [51] Int. Cl. ..B60t 3/00 [58] Field of Search..188/32, 36

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,174,410 3/1916 l-lajasoketal ..188/32 2,461,248 2/1949 Wright ..188/32 2,858,906 11/1958 Minick..188/32 2,998,102 8/1961 Deverich ..1'88/32 3,537,548 11/1970 Jeppesen..188/32 Primary Examiner-Duane A. Reger Att0meyJohn A. HamiltonABSTRACT Locking wheel chocks for an automotive vehicle wheel consistingof a pair of wedges adapted to be disposed respectively for and aft ofsaid wheel, in engagement with the ground surface and confronting theperiphery of the wheel, a connector joining said wedges and adapted toextend alongside said wheel, a mechanism for shortening said connectorwhereby said wedges are driven tightly between said wheel periphery andsaid road surface, and a key-operated locking device for securing saidconnector releasably at any desired degree of extension, and forsecuring said chock device to said wheel.

4Claims,4DrawingFigures LOCKING WHEEL CHOCKS FOR VEHICLES This inventionrelates to new and useful improvements in wheel chocks for automotivevehicles, and has as its object the provision of wheel chocks whichsecure the vehicle against rolling movement either forwardly orrearwardly in a very efficient manner, which are readily adjustable foruse in connection with wheels of different sizes, which automaticallyaccommodate to road surfaces which are rough or uneven, which arerapidly and conveniently applied and removed as desired, and which havelocking means which in substantial measure both prevent theft of thechocks and of the vehicle itself.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, and efficiencyand dependability of operation.

With these objects in view as well as other objects which will appear inthe course of the specification, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a wheel of anautomotive vehicle, with chocks embodying the present invention appliedoperatively thereto,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the chock device only, with partsbroken away, showing the chock wedges drawn toward each other and lockedin solid lines, and showing the wedges moved farther apart in dottedlines,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line III-III of FIG. 2, with thepadlock and chain omitted, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line IV-IV ofFIG. 3.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the severalviews, and the numeral 2 applies generally to a wheel of an automotivevehicle or trailer, said wheel having the usual hub 4 and tire 6 havingrolling engagement with road surface 8. The axle, or axle housing,supporting the wheel is indicated at 10in FIG. 1.

It is often important, for safety reasons, that one or more wheels of avehicle be securely chocked, for example while the tires of other wheelsare being changed, or for other repairs, or when parking the vehicle onsteep slopes in such circumstances that brakes cannot be depended on tohold the vehicle against rolling. Especially if the vehicle is atrailer, it often must be parked detached from its towing vehicle, whichoften powers the hydraulic brakes of the trailer, so that said brakesare inoperative. Also, such trailers must sometimes be parked and leftunattended, so that it would be highly desirable if chocks could beprovided which would effectively theft-proof said trailer.

The chock set as contemplated by the present invention includes a pairof wedges 12 and 14 with their operative angles disposed in vem'calplanes, each having an operative lower face 16 adapted to lie flatagainst road surface 8, and an operative upper face 18 inclined relativeto face 16, the intersection of said faces defining the apex 20 of thewedge, said apex resting against road surface 8. Each wedge ispreferably formed of cast iron or the like and is hollow, being formedin halves permanently affixed together by rivets 22 or the like, as bestshown in FIG. 4. The side walls 24 of each wedge are parallel andnormally disposed vertically.

Wedges 12 and 14 are disposed in spaced apart relation with their upperoperative faces 18 inclined downwardly toward each other, and theirlower opera-- tive faces 16 disposed in coplanar relation. Said wedgesare joined by a connector 26 consisting of a pair of horizontallydisposed bars 28 and 30. Bar 28 is provided at one end with a flange 32affixed against a side wall 24 of wedge 12 by the rivets 22 of saidwedge, and extends horizontally toward wedge 14. Bar 30 is provided atone end with a flange 34 affixed to a side wall 24 of wedge 14 by rivets22 of said wedge, and extends toward wedge 12. Intermediate the wedges,bars 28 and 30 he in longitudinally overlapping relation, and a loop 36welded to the extreme end of each bar loosely encircles the adjoiningportion of the other bar. Said loops prevent separation of the bars, butpermit relative longitudinal sliding thereof, whereby to adjust thespacing between the wedges. Connector 26 is affixed to the correspondingsides of the wedges, so that when said wedges are placed on road surface8 respectively fore and aft of wheel 2, as shown in FIG. 1, saidconnector extends alongside the tire 6 of saidwheel. Bar 30 has a seriesof holes 38 formed vertically therethrough, said holes being spacedregularly along the midline of said bar, and bar 28 has at least onehole 40 formed vertically therethrough which, as will appear, registerswith one of holes 38 of bar 30.

A toggle lever 42 is pivoted at one end, on a vertical axis, to bar 28adjacent wedge 12, as by rivet 44, and extends horizontally from saidpivot. A generally horizontal toggle link 46 extends above connector 26.One end 48 of said link is bent vertically downwardly and securedpivotally in a hole provided therefore in lever 42 in spaced apartrelation from pivot 44. The other end 50 of said link is bent verticallydownwardly and engaged selectively and pivotally in one of holes 38 ofbar 30 adjacent wedge 14, in a portion of said bar not overlapping bar28, and secured releasably in said hole by means of a spring retainerpin 52 inserted therethrough beneath said bar. Thus, pivoting lever 42to the dotted line position of FIG. 2 causes toggle link 46 to extendconnector 26 to move the wedges farther apart, as also indicated by thedotted line position of wedge 14. Likewise, pivoting lever 42 to thesolid line position of FIG. 2 causes toggle link 46 to retract connector26 to draw the wedges closer together. As lever 42 approaches thislatter position, it traverses a deadcenter position in'which the axis ofsaid link passes through the upwardly extended axis of pivot 44, andimmediately thereafter said lever engages wedge 12, whereby furthermovement thereof is arrested. In this position of the lever, no amountof separating force exerted on the wedges, short of actual breakage ofthe parts, can cause the wedges to move farther apart.

In the use of the device, the wedges 12 and 14 are first positioned asshown in FIG. 1, respectively fore and aft of wheel 2, with toggle lever42 in the dotted line position of FIG. 2, so that the wedges are spacedapart sufficiently far that the insertion of the wedges is renderedeasy. Lever 42 is then turned to its solid line position of FIG. 2,whereby the wedges are drawn closer together and driven or wedgedtightly between road surface 8 and tire 6, indenting themselves into theyieldable surface of said tire. The vehicle supported by wheel 2 is thusfirmly braced against rolling movement either forwardly or rearwardly.The wedges can be adjusted for use with wheels of different diameters,which require different wedge spacings, or for use with wheels the tiresof which are inflated to different degrees, this also requiringadifferent spacing of the wedges, by engaging end 50 of toggle link 46selectively in various of the holes 38 of bar 30. Also, it should benoted that while bars 28 and 39 of connector 26 are not longitudinallyelastic to any appreciable degree, they are formed of sufliciently thinmetal as to be resiliently yieldable in torsion, and in transverseflexure. Thus the wedges l2 and 14 can change their relative positionssufiiciently to accomodate themselves to a rough, uneven or non-planarroad surface 8 to a substantial degree.

When the wedges are contracted as just described to an extent that theyindent tire 6 to some degree, they are very diflicult to dis-lodge byany means other than operating toggle lever 42 to expand or separatesaid wedges, short of lifting the vehicle off of the wedges with jacks.Thus, if means are provided for preventing unauthorized operation oflever 42, the wedges act as a theft-proofing, or at leasttheft-discouraging means for the entire vehicle, presuming that thewedges are sufficiently steep that the vehicle cannot be forcibly drivenofi of them. An apex angle of about 35 between the operative faces 16and 18 of the wedges has been found adequate for this purpose. As shown,the locking means includes an ordinary padlock 54, the hasp 56 of which(see FIG. 2) is adapted to be inserted through hole 40 of connector bar28 and one of holes 38 of connector bar 36. When lever 42 is in thesolid line position of FIG. 2, one of holes 38 will always register withhole 40. With the padlock engaged, toggle lever 42 cannot be pivoted andconnector 26 cannot be extended. In fact, the connector could not thenbe extended even if the toggle lever and link were disconnected andremoved. The locking means may also include a length of linked chain 58,said chain being looped over axle or axle housing inside of wheel 2,with the end portions thereof being led around the wheel respectivelyfore and aft thereof, below the horizontal diameter of the wheel, andhaving its end links brought together and secured in hasp 56 of padlock54, as shown. Said chain not only renders dislodgrnent of the wedgesfrom beneath the wheel still more difficult, but also discourages theftof the checks themselves, since even if the chocks can be dislodged frombeneath the wheel, the loop of chain, if properly applied, is too smallto be passed upwardly over the wheel.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention,it will be readily apparent that many minor changes of structure andoperation could be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A set of wheel checks for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a. a pair of wedges adapted to be rested on the road surfacerespectively fore and aft of a vehicle wheel with their apecesconfronting each other, and

. an elongated connector extending between and interconnecting saidwedges, said connector being d' dat n lat ral ide of aid (1 es wherebtti nd aibri gsidi said whe l, c%mprising 5 pair of elongated barsslidably telescoped together and having their extended ends affixedrespectively to said wedges, a toggle lever pivoted to one of said barson an axis transverse thereto, and a toggle link pivoted at one end tosaid lever in spaced relation from the pivot of said lever, and at itsopposite end to the other of said bars, at selective points spacedlongitudinally therealong, whereby pivotal movement of said levertelescopes said bars to change the spacing between said wedges, thepivots of said toggle lever and said toggle link having an aligned,dead-center relation with said lever pivot intermediate the pivots ofsaid link.

2. The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein said bars aresubstantially inelastic longitudinally thereof, but are formed ofmaterial sufficiently resilient that said connector may yieldresiliently in torsion about its longitudinal axis, and in transverseflexure.

3. The structure as recited in claim 1 with the addition of lockingmeans independent of said toggle members and operable to lock said barspositively against telescoping relative movement.

4. The structure as recited in claim 3 wherein said locking meanscomprises a padlock the hasp of which is operable to be inserted throughmatching holes formed in said bars in the telescoped portions thereof,and with the addition of a linked chain adapted to be passed over arigid portion of said vehicle adjacent the inner face of said wheel, itsend portions passed respectively fore and aft of said wheel to the outerface of said wheel, and its end links secured in the hasp of saidpadlock, said connector and said padlock being disposed adjacent theouter face of said wheel.

1. A set of wheel chocks for an automotive vehicle comprising: a. a pairof wedges adapted to be rested on the road surface respectively fore andaft of a vehicle wheel with their apeces confronting each other, and b.an elongated connector extending between and interconnecting saidwedges, said connector being disposed at one lateral side of said wedgeswhereby to extend alongside said wheel, and comprising a pair ofelongated bars slidably telescoped together and having their extendedends affixed respectively to said wedges, a toggle lever pivoted to oneof said bars on an axis transverse thereto, and a toggle link pivoted atone end to said lever in spaced relation from the pivot of said lever,and at its opposite end to the other of said bars, at selective pointsspaced longitudinally therealong, whereby pivotal movement of said levertelescopes said bars to change the spacing between said wedges, thepivots of said toggle lever and said toggle link having an aligned,dead-center relation with said lever pivot intermediate the pivots ofsaid link.
 2. The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein said bars aresubstantially inelastic longitudinally thereof, but are formed ofmaterial sufficiently resilient that said connector may yieldresiliently in torsion about its longitudinal axis, and in transverseflexure.
 3. The structure as recited in claim 1 with the addition oflocking means independent of said toggle members and operable to locksaid bars positively against telescoping relative movement.
 4. Thestructure as recited in claim 3 wherein said locking means comprises apadlock the hasp of which is operable to be inserted through matchingholes formed in said bars in the telescoped portions thereof, and withthe addition of a linked chain adapted to be passed over a rigid portionof said vehicle adjacent the inner face of said wheel, its end portionspassed respectively fore and aft of said wheel to the outer face of saidwheel, and its end links secured in the hasp of said padlock, saidconnector and said padlock being disposed adjacent the outer face ofsaid wheel.